Hardware for mounting an overhead garage door



Oct. 9, 1951 F. o. HOLISTER ErAL HARDWARE FOR MOUNTING AN OVERHEAD GARAGE DOOR 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 2, 1945 je mA/f IN1/EN TOR. Fra/7k 0. Ho//sffr Gar/ana/YM Geox" Oct- 9, 1951 F. o. HoLlsTx-:R ETAL 2,570,447

HARDWARE EoR MOUNTING AN OVERHEAD GARAGE DooR Filed April 2, 1945 2 sheetssheet 2 Patented ct. 9, i951 UNITED STATES PATENT ortica Frank O. Holister, Los, Angeles, and Garland M. George.. Long Beach;v Califl Application April 2, 1945, Serial N0. 586,172

Our invention relates to overhead 'garage door hardware, and an importantobject of the invention is' to provide non-pivotal means for adjust ingthe hardware to diierent depths of pocketsV at'the sides of the door. l

Another'obj-ect of the invention is to provide such means that will effectively hold the door supporting meansin .its adjusted positions.

A further-object is to provide `an easily assembled wall bracketv support that will remain lubricated over -a long period of time.

' Our invention'- also has for its objects to provide such means that are positivem operation, convenientin use, easily'installed Vin a working positionA andV easily disconnected therefrom, leconomical of manufacture, relatively simple, and ofgeneral superiority andserviceability.

' Thefinvention also comprises vnovel details of rconstruction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appearV in the course of the following description. However,V 'the drawings merely show andthe following *description merely describes one embodiment off -the preslentvinvention, which is given by way of Y'illustration or example only'.

'Inj the drawings, like reference characters Fig. 6 is-a broken, side ele lation, looking in the direction'voithe'arrow B of"Fig. 5.

Referring'more in -detail to the drawings, the reference number 9`generally` designates -a garage door, while the side 'wallof thefga'rage is suggested at I'D. A board I2 spans the space between adjacent studs I3 of `thegarage building anidinAV turn supports the pivotal support for thedoor" 9, Y

The pivotal support comprises a dished bracket I4' that is bolted to the wall board I2, as suggested at 15. The bracket Ill has a circular opening I6 which provides a bearing' for a rotating bushing Il. The bushing has an'outwardly directed flange I8 that hooks inside'the dished bracket IE, to hold the -bushing in place.

Av pair of flaring door-supporting arms I=9 have Straight, parallel inner ends 20. Pivoting plates 7 Claims. (Cl. 1li-129) 2 2lA provide complementary channel members 22, face to face, 'for removably clamping the ends 20 therebetween. Bolts 23 and nuts 24 clamp the platesZI to each other at their end portions. The intermediate portions of the plates2l are permanently riveted together; asshown at 2 5. A circular boss 21v is pressed outwardly from' the body 25ct the plate. Opposed bosses 21 on the plates 25' embrace therebetween abutting anges 2-8 of bearing sleeve members 29 and 30. Rivets 3I' fasten the anges 28 in between the opposed bosses 21. The bushing I1 has a circumferential groove 32' forareceiving a C-shaped, resilient ring 33.' The ring 33 snaps into the groove 32 and holds the sleeve member by abutting same. The other sleeve member 29 abuts the outer face ofthe'bracket I4,`and, as stated, the members 29 and' 39 abut each other. A triangular-shaped pocket 3e is afforded between the adjacent corners of the flanges 28, for receiving grease, to vlullricate the turning of the bearing members 29 and 30on the bushing I1.

The outer ends 3S of lthe arms I9 are bent parallelwith 'each other and are disposed at right angles to the'door 9.A` Clamps 31 mount the ends Slon the door.v Each clamp 31 comprises a loop 39 for embracingy an adjacent end 36. Integral with theloop 38 are spaced lugs 39 that are drawn together in clamping relation by bolts 49 and nuts 4I Foot'tabs 92 on the lugs 39, respectively, are secured to the door 9 by suitable means, such as bolts 43.

Suitable Vcounterbalancing means is provided for counterbalancing the weight of the door 9. The means shown in the drawings is a relatively strong coil spring d4 that has one end anchored to a fixed plate on the garage structure, and has its other end hooked in a chain 46, which in turn is connected with a pivot bolt 41 on a clip 48.

Itis believed clear, without further illustration, thatithe constructionv shown in Fig. l may be duplicated at opposite sides of the door 9, and

that'counterbalancing kmeans such asV the spring 413, or any other suitabley means, may be employed on one or both sides of the door.

In the use of our present invention, the door maybe swung to the closed position (shown in full lines in Figi), or to the open, overhead position (shown ini broken lines in Fig. l). A handle49 of any desired shape or construction may be employed for manipulation of the door. rI'he counterbalancing means 44 will assist "the lifting ofthe door 9 to an overhead, open p and: cushions the closing of sam The space at the sides V,of t ture, inside of same, are called 3 offsets which vary in size. That is, the inside width of the garage varies quite considerably, while the size of garage doors is to a considerable extent standard. Thus these pockets or offsets vary considerably.

Our present hardware compensates for these diierent depths. When installing, the door 9 is placed in the doorway substantially as shown in Fig. 1. Thebrackets I4 are bolted to suitable supports, such as shown at I2, in the pockets or oisets at the opposite sides of the building. Then the assembly of the bushing I1, bearing members 29 and 39 and pivoting plates 2I, is mounted upon each bracket I4. The inner ends of the arms I9 are inserted between the chan'- nel members 22, and the embracing lops 38 are placed upon the outer ends 36 of the arms. Since the ends 29 of each pair of arms I9 are held parallel in channels 22, said ends can be lightly clamped by the bolts 23. Thus lightly held, the arms I9Y can be rotated in channels 22 to bring the parallel outer ends 36 into vertical alignment opposite that portion of the door to which clamps 31 are to be afxed. If the arms I9 extend too far forward, bolts 23 can be slacked off and said arms suitably retracted to bring the foot tabs 42 flat against the inner face of the door. If said arms I9 do not quite contact the door, the ends 20 can be tapped to slide the arms forwardly and thus bring said foot tabs against the door. For a shallow pocket, the mentioned rotation of arms I9 will be relatively slight in order to bring the outer ends 36 opposite the door. For deeper pockets, said rotation will be commensurately greater, as can be understood. In the latter instances, of course, the angularly directed portions of arms I9 will each lie in a plane at an angle to the plane common to the inner ends 20, the angle of said planes will be opposite and substantially equal, and the outer ends 3'6 will retain parallelism but reside in a common plane that is laterally offset from the plane of ends 20. With arms I9 thus arranged, bolts 23 are tightened to lock said arms against further rotation, bolts 43 are applied to secure clamps 31 to the door, and bolts 40 tightened to eiect tight gripping by clamps 31 of the arm ends 36.

Clip 48 may have been previously strung on the upper arm I9 or may be applied after assembly as desired. Said clip, after adjusting the tension o f spring 44, may be then locked in place on said arm by tightening bolt 41. It is Iunderstood that the'hardware at both sides of the door are applied in the above manner regardless of variations in the sizes or depths of the pockets or offsets. Only the degree of rotation of the arms I9 varies as above indicated.

Having thus described our invention,'what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l.' Hardware for mounting an overhead door ina structure having opposed side walls spaced further apart than the width of said door to provide pockets laterally of the door, said hardware comprising a support embodying a pivot shaft extending inward from a side wall of the structure in one of the pockets, a pair of plate members pivotally mounted on the shaft and formed with oppositely disposed and parallel channels, arms having parallel inner ends in the channels of the plate members and adapted for both rotational and endwise adjustment therein, the arms having intermediate portions that are angularly directed away from each other and having outer ends that are parallel to each other and to the inner ends engaged in said channels, clamp means on said plate members for constricting said chan- 4 nels to clamp said inner ends of the arms against rotational and endwise movement and means for connecting the outer ends of the arms substantially at right angles to the door.

2. Hardware for mounting an overhead door in a structure having opposed side walls spaced further apart than the width of said door to provide pockets laterally-of the door, said hardware comprising a support embodying a pivot shaft extending inward from a side wall of the structure in one of the pockets, a pair of plate members .pivotally mounted on the shaft and formed with oppositely disposed and parallel channel, arms having parallel inner ends in the channels of the plate members and adapted for both' rotational and endwise adjustment therein, the arms having intermediate portions that are angularly directed away from each other and having outer ends that are parallel to each other and to the inner ends engaged in said channels, clamp means on said plate members for constricting said channels Vto clamp said inner ends of the arms against rotational and endwise movement and a clamp bracket on the outer end of each arm arranged for securing the outer ends of the arms substantially at right angles to the door.

3. In a structure having opposed side Walls and an overhead closure door, hardware for mounting said door on said structure and com` prising a frame pivotally mounted on a side wall and connected to the door, the frame comprising a pair of arms having intermediate angularly diverging portions, the arms having inner parallel ends, a pair of plate members having channels for receiving said inner ends for rotational and endwise adjustmentand including clamping means therefor to hold the same adjusted, the arms having outer parallel ends, and means connecting said outer ends tosaid door.

4. In a structure having opposed side walls and an overhead closure door, hardware for mounting said door on said structure and including a group of Velements operatively connecting a side wall and the door, the group of elements comprising a pair of arms having diverging intermediate portions terminating at one end in closely adjacent paralleltubular Vportions and at the other in parallel portions-that are spaced further apart, said tubular portions being disposed in a plane parallel to the planes of said side walls, means connected to a wall of said structure for rotation in a plane parallel to the plane of said wall and forreceiving the adjacent tubular portions of said pair of arms to mount the same for adjustable rotational movement on the axes of the respective tubular portions whereby the further spaced portions of the arms are adapted to be adjusted to reside in a plane parallel to andv oiset from the plane of the adjacent arm portions, and means for connecting said further spaced portions to the door. Y Y

5. Hardware for mounting an overhead door in a structure having a pocket at least at one side of the door, said hardware comprising adjustable pivot means adapted to be mounted in said pocket and rotatable about a horizontal' axis,

'arms having substantially parallel inner tubular ends, clamping means on the pivot means loosening of the clamping means, being rotatively adjustable around their respective axes, the `arms having intermediate portions that diverge and,

having outer ends that are substantially parallel bleach .other andro the, inner endsand clamp'-j ing means on the outer end of each arm arranged to secure the outer ends of the arms substantially at right angles to the door.

6. A hanger for an overhead opening garage door comprising a bracket support adapted to be secured to the inside Wall of a garage, said bracket support including a pivot bearing member, a pair of cooperating clamped plate members mounted on said pivot bearing member and having oppositely disposed, longitudinal complementary grooves, longitudinally adjustable arms having a pair of ends in said grooves, each arm having parallel offset end portions and an intermediate connecting portion, said arms being round in cross-section and said grooves defining sockets wherein said arms are mounted for rotative adjustment about the longitudinal axes of the sockets and secured by said clamped plate members, and means for adjustably securing the outer ends of said arms to a garage door.

7. vA hanger for an overhead opening garage door in a structure having opposed side walls comprising a support embodying a pivot shaft extending inward from a side wall of the structure, clamping means mounted on said pivot shaft, a pair of arms, each arm having parallel olset cylindrical end portions and an intermediate connecting portion, the inner ends of the arms being embraced by and secured in the clamping means in parallel relation and adapted for both rotational adjustment about their longitudinal axes and endwise adjustment therein, the outer ends of the arms being adapted to be spaced from each other a distance greaterthan the distance between the inner ends, and means for adjustably connecting the outer ends of the arms to the garage door.

FRANK O. HOLISTER.

GARLAND M. GEORGE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 429,357 McBee June 3, 1890 2,166,898 Wolf July 18, 1939 2,167,569 Graves et al July 25, 1939 2,228,314 Holmes Jan. 14, 1941 2,228,361 ONel Jan. 14, 1941 2,233,638 Peck Mar. 4, 1941 2,259,819 Holmes Oct. 21, 1941 2,404,531 Robertson July 23, 1946 2,425,905 Violante Aug. 19, 1947 2,441,741 Wread May 18, 1948 

